Case Study: Signal > Noise
“Every career has pivotal moments. The creation of Signals was one of mine, and one that I am immensely proud of.
Our sophomore book sorts through the noise of the news cycle to define 27 clear ‘signals’—or megatrends—shaping the modern world. These include trends in technology, markets, and demographics, such as CRISPR, rising debt, and aging populations. We took the opportunity to create a beautiful (we’re biased) coffee-table book unlike any other on the market: exploring these trends with high impact visuals and concise charts on every single page.
This is not a regular book.
I’m a builder and a maker at heart, so every aspect of Signals’ visual development came from rolling up my sleeves and getting my hands dirty. I led the creative vision and tone, from the cover and the initial moodboards, to image development, data visualization, and the structure. 23 people came together to produce the book between our editorial and design teams, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we accomplished together.
On behalf of the Creative team, if you happen to have a copy of Signals in your hands, I hope this book leaves you with deeper insights and discovery moments.”
—Melissa Haavisto, Creative Director
ROLE: Creative Direction, Illustration, Advertising
TEAM: 13 writers, 10 designers, 3 marketers
RESULTS: We surpassed our Kickstarter campaign goal of $120,000 by $30,000. Since print, Signals has been featured on multiple podcasts, ordered for the U.S. Capitol library, and picked up by Wiley publishers for a second edition.
FUN FACT: Ask me how many days our team made Signals in over a pint.